WESTERN FOODIE

Birria Tacos

Not your average “Taco Tuesday” evening dinner.

By MIKE EDGAR Photos By TWISTED TREE PHOTOGRAPHY

Birria tacos are becoming all the rage and after one bite, you’ll want them for supper every night too. Birria is traditionally a Mexican dish consisting of a meat stew made from goat meat, and occasionally beef or mutton (but never pork). The stew is slowcooked and has a savoury, sweet and sour flavour, with a hint of spice.

In Birria tacos, the stew is placed inside a tortilla shell with cheese, dipped in broth and fried up. This isn’t an easy dish to prepare, but once you taste a bite of a Birria taco’s sizzled, cheesy, crispy, goodness – you’ll never want a normal taco again.

For the Meat:

1 lb Beef Chuck 1 lb Beef Shank 1 lb Beef Shortrib 2 Tsp. Salt 2 Tsp. Ground Black Pepper 2 Tsp. Ground Cumin

For the Broth:

4 Dried New Mexico Chilies 4 Dried Ancho Chilies 1 Can Chipotle Pepper in Adobo 2 Tsp. Whole Peppercorns 2 Cloves 10 Whole Star Anise, Dry 4 Bay Leaves 5 Three-Inch Cinnamon Sticks 1 Tsp. Ground Cumin 1 Tsp. Ground Ginger 8 Garlic Cloves 1 Spanish Onion, Sliced 2 Cups Crushed Tomato 1 Litre Beef Stock 2 Oranges Sliced 1 Tbsp. Salt 1 Cup Brown Sugar

For the Tacos:

Tortillas of Your Choice Diced White Onion Fresh Cilantro 2 Cups Oaxaca Cheese, Shredded Fresh Lime Fresh Jalapeño Shredded Stew Meat

METHOD FOR THE MEAT

Remove stems and seeds from chilies. In a pot, bring two cups of water to a boil. Add the chilies and simmer until tender (around two minutes). Add chillies and half the water to a blender and puree until smooth, then add the canned chipotle and puree again until smooth. Set aside until it’s time to build the stew.

Cut your meat into manageable pieces and season with salt pepper and cumin. In a heavy dutch oven, heat the vegetable oil until you start to see it smoke. Brown your meat a little at a time, ensuring you get a good sear. Then remove it from the pot.

Using the same pot, sauté the onion and garlic until soft. Add peppercorns, cumin, ginger, bay leaves, clove, star anise, cinnamon sticks and salt. Sauté for another two minutes. Add your beef, crushed tomato, beef broth, oranges, sugar, and chili puree.

If the meat is not covered by liquid, add an appropriate amount of water to cover. Bring to a boil, cover and place in a

350-degree Fahrenheit oven for four hours. If after four hours the meat is not tender enough to shred, then put the lid back on and continue to cook until tender. After the meat has reached desired texture, remove from the oven and let the meat cool in the broth. Once cooled, remove the meat from the broth and shred with a fork or by hand. Set aside in a bowl. Strain the broth into a pot, making sure all the spices are removed. Keep the broth in the fridge until needed.

METHOD FOR THE TACOS

Mix the oaxaca cheese into the shredded stew meat. Remove the broth from the fridge and place half of it into a bowl or shallow plastic container. Warm the other remaining half of the broth on low heat, on the stove.

In a large cast iron pan on medium high heat, warm some vegetable oil. Fill your tortillas with the shredded meat and cheese, then quickly dip into the cold broth (which was set aside in a bowl) and fry in your cast iron pan on each side – until golden brown and until the cheese melts.

Place the now fried Birria tacos on a serving platter. Pour the warm broth into a ramekin or bowl and place next to the tacos for dipping. Garnish with chopped onion, sliced jalapeños, lime wedges, and cilantro. Grab a taco and plunge it into the warm Birria broth and enjoy! WHR

About the Chef:

Mike Edgar graduated from the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology in the Culinary Arts. He stayed in Calgary, AB working at some of the city’s top restaurants. In 2007, he opened his own restaurant in Calgary’s east end. After eight years of being a chef there, Edgar decided to take a step back and left the industry to spend more time with his son. His son has now expressed an interest in learning his father’s skills and in horses simultaneously.